Interview with Vita Adam

Tuesday Talks with Vita Adam

Today we are chatting with a dear crazy friend of mine. Singer, songwriter and advocate for young women, Vita Adam. Vita migrated to Australia from Indonesia at aged 2. Since winning the 2009 LightFM Musical Challenge, she has released 6 charting singles, Runnin, Turn It Up, Hold On, Streetlights, Rumour and You Come.

She is also an enthusiastic member of the Melbourne Gospel Choir, with whom she has recently performed for Abigail Disney, Jeffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman and Deborra- Lee Furness, The Logies, The Footy Show with Joel & Benji Madden and Channel 9’s Carols by Candelight.

Last week Vita released her new single “Own It”.

Co written and produced with CDBs and Australia s Got Talent winner ( 2012)

Andy De Silva, this song is all about changing culture. Singer songwriter, Movement

Founder/Leader of The Bold The Beautiful Project and Fashion Director of girls magazine

bella rae, Vita uses every opportunity given, in every area she is involved

in, to play a part in building a stronger tomorrow for future generations and for the

sisterhood.

Lisa: Vita, what does this song mean to you?

“Own It” is all about taking back words that we use every day, words with meaning that are often distorted by pop culture or the media, and redefining their definitions and the images attached to them. It’s about understanding that every single one of us has the power to be a culture changer, and it begins with how we think, speak and therefore behave. We are all leaders, regardless of our age or whether we are up on a platform or not. So get excited and “Own It”.

Lisa: Who did you write it with and how did it come about?

Songwriting always begins with what is on my heart. I absolutely love when I have opportunities to then develop songs, in this case with the amazing Andrew De Silva, and turn them into something that I could not have dreamt up on my own. There’s something beautiful about collaboration. I learn so much from other artists and love having their different flavours infused into my songwriting cooking.

Own It’ was birthed…..out of sheer frustration. Hahaha. I just got so sick of how over sexualised our culture is, how desensitised we have become to the words we use, how we use them and the images attached to them. Because of this distorted understanding of how we use language, visuals and media we have a problem of pop culture dictating to our girls a message that screams at them that “they are not enough.

What is hot? Sexy? Provocative? Beautiful? If we google these words, there is a very high percentage of over sexualised images attached to them. Interesting that there are multiple definitions available for each other these words. Why always so sexualised? Why?

So here is this song, talking about taking back how we speak, what we speak and how we present “value, beauty and purpose”. These themes are a common thread through my music, my role as bella are magazine’s Fashion Director, and the movement founded and leader of The Bold The Beautiful Project.

Lisa: Vita Adam – what are you passionate about? Im asking this with a giggle because Vita is pretty passionate about everything.

I am passionate about changing the world.

I am passionate about being a culture changer.

I am passionate about being a strong role model.

I am passionate about cultivating sisterhood with our girls.

I am passionate about using music to change the atmosphere in a positive way.

I am passionate about meeting people where they are at, so that they feel valued, heard and loved.

I am passionate about rallying my generation to understand that we have responsibility to fight for and walk with the next.

Lisa: You are also deeply committed to The Bold and The Beautiful project. What is the bold and beautiful and what is its message?

The Bold The Beautiful project is not just a motivational speaking program, it is a movement. A movement that tours schools and speaks to girls about what it means to be BOLD and truly BEAUTIFUL.

It’s about taking simple principals, such as “What does it mean to be BOLD?” We unpack definitions, we unpack what bold decision making looks like. We unpack the power of words and the power of names. How names, given to us by birth or through social interaction have the power to define us. In negative and positive ways.

It’s about letting the negative names that we are called ( fat, ugly, loser, nerd, dumb..etc etc) fall to the ground and to adopt new names attached to our identity. ” I am Bold. I am Beautiful. I am Brave. I am Enough”

Lisa: What do you think is the greatest pressure on young people at the moment?

I think one of the greatest pressures our young people face is the pursuit of perfection. Thanks to social media, we do a lot of multiple- selfie- taking…until we nail the “perfect” photo. We do a lot of “deleting” until we can post the “perfect” words. We strive to have popular, pretty, influential and powerful friends that make us look good. We want to look fashionable and current so that we are always on trend. It’s admired when our romantic partners are super good looking and rich, smart and athletic.

The thing is….there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being any of these things. However, problems arise when we hang on to these sorts of ideals too tightly, as if we are nothing if we don’t hit the mark. Unfortunately…pop culture tends to disagree with me.

It’s ok to not be all things to all people. It’s ok to be super fit and healthy but still have a soft pot belly ( insert my photo here). It’s ok to have an empty bank account but you are rich with the calibre of people in your world. It’s ok. We just need to learn to take ourselves and each other off the hook, understand that we were created to live in relationship, in community and not do life on our own. I believe I am strong and really great at what I do, because of the army of lions and lionesses that I have walking with me. Now THAT…..is hot.

Lisa: Do you have a personal mission statement – what code do you live by?

I believe that longevity and true success comes with relationship.

I believe that above all else, honouring people is your most valuable currency.

I believe that courage is learnt by stepping out and living, not just by hearing and watching.

I believe that I am not an expert, but a student of life who never stops learning.

I believe that I am a woman first and an artist/leader second.

I believe that who I am in public should be an overflow of who I am in private. (work in progress)

I believe that I am enough just as I am.

Lisa: What do you do to help you get through tough times?

I went through some really tough years with anxiety. Thankfully, I am on the other side where it does not cripple me anymore, but I am aware of my red flags. When I am stressed, tired, scared for whatever reason, I feel my body wanting to default back into old mindsets and behaviour. These days I have a better handle at living through difficult seasons in life. I have understood that investing in my body and my health is a priority.

I love to run. I run long distance every second day, and I jump in the pool and smash laps every other. Running is intense and challenging and it helps me beat out any frustrations I may have. Swimming is beautiful recovery for my body, a different type of cardio workout and there’s something about the silence under water that calms me. Exercise releases my body, injects good chemicals, helps me sleep and teaches me to listen to my body.

I also eat pretty clean. I’m not too strict. I love my burgers with the lot and there’s always a tub of ice-cream in the freezer. But I understand that I am what I eat. I feel my body breakdown with tiredness and headaches when I don’t eat well. It just feels yuk.

I also sing, listen and write music. It’s my release. It’s the best way I know how to communicate how I feel.

Lisa: How important is it to you to have safe people around you and who are these people in your world?

I have a beautiful first circle of friends that I feel safe with. I am a very private person ( which some may find hard to believe) but I don’t really socialise a lot. I’m actually really introvert. So my first circle of friends and my mentors are so important to me. They are my safe place. I share with them, I cry and I laugh with them. Sometimes I need to unpack information- sensitive situations so my mentors are like gold to me. Discretion, confidentiality and trust are characteristics I hold very dear to my heart. I need safe people to help me unload difficult and sometimes public issues.

My circle are not only there to support me, but also to keep me accountable. They help me make difficult decisions , they are sounding boards to help me with examples of language before I execute certain conversations and they totally whip me back into line when I’m not behaving, talking and walking life well.

If you would like to follow Vita and find out more about her projects go to her website:

Other Recordings:

REAL – EP

WHITE HORSES – ALBUM

“White Horses” , her first complete album, was launched late March 2014.

Since the launch of “White Horses”, Vita has relocated to the Gold Coast where she has since released 2 singles, “Rumour” and “My Heart” and founded a motivational speaking movement called “The Bold The Beautiful Project”

Singles:

Runnin – 2009

Turn it up – 2010

Hold on – 2010

Streetlights – 2011 Peaked at #5 on TRAA chart after 10 weeks in

Rumour – 2014 peaked at #4 on HOT 25 COUNTDOWN

You Come – 2014 peaked at #10 on HOT 25 COUNTDOWN

My heart – 2016

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